The East Georgia lake offers a variety of options for competitors
The Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) is headed to Lake Sinclair Oct. 8-10 for one of six BFL regional championships. The three-day tournament, presented by Quaker State, will feature the top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers from each of the Bama, Gator, Music City, and South Carolina divisions.
Anglers will take to the water to compete for the top prize of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard and $20,000 in the Boater Division and a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard in the Co-angler division. The top six boaters and co-anglers will also qualify for the 2016 Walmart BFL All-American – one of the longest running championships in competitive bass fishing.
“There are a few different patterns that I could see coming into play at this tournament,” said Walmart FLW Tour pro Troy Morrow of Eastanollee, Georgia, a four-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier. “We’ve had some rain, so a spinnerbait or vibrating jig will be popular in most areas due to the muddy water.
“Despite the weather, there will likely also be a bite near the fixed docks,” continued Morrow. “If I was competing, I’d reach for a shaky-head rig to pick them apart. You may also see a handful of anglers finding offshore bass using a dark-colored crankbait or a Carolina-rigged worm. This pattern can be tricky, though, because the offshore bite generally depends on a hard bottom and that can be tough to find on Sinclair. I could also see the riprap near the Sugar Creek bridge playing a role.”
When asked about a winning weight, Morrow said a three-day catch nearing 42 pounds should be enough to take top honors.
Anglers will take off from the Little River Park ramp located at 3069 North Columbia St. in Milledgeville at 7:30 a.m. EST each day. Weigh-ins on Thursday and Friday will be held at the park beginning at 3:30 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at Walmart located at 2592 N. Columbia St. in Milledgeville at 4:30 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Fans will also be treated to the FLW Expo on Saturday at Walmart prior to the final weigh-in. The Expo includes a Ranger boat simulator, a unique opportunity to interact with anglers, interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and a chance to learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.
The BFL Regional Championship event on Lake Sinclair is being hosted by the Milledgeville Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2015 over the course of 240 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
By: Brian Johnson, FLW
